Ruth's Never-ending Story Meme

IThis is Ruth's Meme. It's taken me awhile to write my chapter. (Sorry Ruth!) If you have a good idea, for Chapter three, I would be delighted. (I have never done this before!) Meanwhile, here are the rules:

Put a link to this post. Label the Link "Chapter Two." and to Ruth's "Chapter One. "
Write your own installment and label it "Chapter Three." Remember to leave it unresolved.
Come leave a comment on this post when you're done. I will list links to all possible versions of the second chapter at the bottom of this post.
Anyone who writes a version of Chapter Three should leave it open-ended and invite people to create Chapter Four. Etc, etc.
Let's see what happens and how far this goes.
P.S. There is no time limit on doing this, but this post will drop into the archives in about a week.

CHAPTER TWO

As I look back now, I can see that this small strange dream marked the beginning, a turning point. But of course at the time, I didn't know that yet. All I knew is that, for the first time in a long time, I felt acutely the deep hole of time since my father's death. All of a sudden I could see him quite clearly: his gray work shirt with the pocket protector and screwdrivers in it, the earnest way he like to talk to customers, with his hands clasped behind his back, the black curl of hair just on his forehead.

I poured myself a cup of coffee, picked my morning paper off the front step, and sat down at the kitchen table, alone. The house was quiet. I was alone, as always. I didn't think of myself as a loner, a solitary person, but in that moment, I listened to the clock ticking, and I thought, I am alone. Has it always been like this?

I'll be honest: if I'm not quite "old" yet, I can safely say that I'm bordering on "elderly", anyway. My retirement looms, and I look at that horizon with a mixture of anticipation and dread. M&F Insurance has been a sort of family to me; the work hasn't been exciting, but I know all of the people, and I feel that we don't just work together; we are a part of each other's lives.

But that morning, after the dream, I wondered if that was really true; how connected was I to anybody in my life, really? Shirley at the desk next to mine, who had pictures of her children taped to her wall, Fred in accounting who, once, long ago, asked me out -- Mary down the hall who keeps three extra pairs of shoes in her desk, and likes to slip out 10 minutes early on Friday.

I sipped coffee and read the news with moderate interest. There were rumors of wars, like always; the president was traveling to Europe, I saw. I read a story about an enterprising young boy who earned money selling lemonade and giving away kittens; he was saving his earnings to send his brother to a special camp for MD. There was another story of corporate embezzlement. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Just as I was turning to the obituaries, the phone rang. No one ever calls me, I thought. I wonder who it is.

7 Facts Meme

Katharine over at Meaning and Authenticity tagged me for a meme, and I've been thinking on it for several days.

Here are the rules:

a. List these rules on your blog.

b. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.

1. Until last week, I had never traveled to Europe in my life. I lived in Japan for three years, but I have never been anywhere in Europe. I haved wanted to travel to Sweden since I was a little girl, and I saw home movies of my older cousin's trip to Sweden with my grandma. They travelled by boat.

2. I collect old children's religious books. I like to find prayer books, Bible stories, and hymnbooks, especially those with lovely or unusual illustrations. Here's one example:

3. We only took two extended vacations when I was growing up: the first was to Seattle, when I was in the 5th grade, and the second was to Disneyland, when I was 16. For the trip to Disneyland, I sewed two pairs of shorts, one midriff top and two halter tops, so that I would have some new clothes for the trip.

4. "Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service" is one of my favorite hymns.

5. My sister is a graphic designer in Phoenix Arizona. She designed my ordination announcements AND my wedding service bulletin cover.

6. My brother has won international foosball tournaments.

7. The summer after my first year of seminary, I ran a summer program for children in two inner-city churches. It was very stressful, and I barely survived. I had an integrated staff of high school age youth, and it was a crash course in racism poverty, and adolescent psychology.

c. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

I can't think of anyone to tag right now, but if I do, I'll revise the post and say, "You're it!"

Summer Meme

Barbara tagged me for this fun Summer meme. Suddenly, we have summer here in the northland (just Saturday, actually). We also now have power!

So, without further ado:

1.) What first tells you that summer is here?
First hot day, hot not warm, where you see people at the beach and really in the water (like Sunday).

2.) Name five of your favorite distinctively summer habits or customs.
*Picnics, whether the food is homecooked or just bought and eaten outdoors
*Summer vacation, the three months off from school between June and August. I'll never get over summer vacation
*Going to the lake (Nokomis, Cedar, Lake of the Isles, Harriet, Calhoun, Como. Swimming is fun but optional.)
*Picking berries.
*Reading a book outside, at the beach or other scenic venue

3.) What is your favorite smell of summer?
The smell of the air just after a storm. Clean, and fragrant

4.) What is your favorite taste of summer?
Fresh local strawberries!
runner up: popsicles

5.) Favorite summer memory?
On a hot summer night, my sister and I would go to sleep with just sheets covering us, and with two of those old-fahsioned box fans running in the window. At sometime during the night, my mother would quietly come in and turn the air on the fan around.

6.) Extreme heat or extreme cold? Which would you choose and why?
After this long long cold cold winter, I am going to choose extreme heat. Although I might change my mind later.

7.) What books do you plan to read for the season?
*Our June book club book is Tall Grass, by Sandra Dallas
*Christianity for the Rest of Us, by Diana Butler Bass
*Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan
*The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
*The Double Bind, by Chris Bohjalian

8.) How does the summer affect your faith? Is it a hindrance?
I think summer, and the long liturgical season of discipleship, is an ally. The summer walks by the lake, and the time for meditation, are good for me spiritually. I like the longer days, too.

Picture is from here

I'll tag:

two dogs
Scout (she'll do the meme later tonight)
Rowan
and three people
Juniper
Linda
Katherine E.

Oddly Familiar Meme

Jan at Yearning for God tagged me a few days ago for an "oddly familiar" (or is it strangely familiar?) meme. As I am procrastinating on other writing projects right now, it seemed like a good time for a meme!


Rules:
The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
Each player answers the questions about himself or herself.
At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
Yadayadayada


Ten years ago:
Ten years ago at this time of year, I was packing to leave my first call churches in rural South Dakota. My last Sunday there was in the middle of May. I drove to Minneapolis to start at my current church, but returned at the very end of the month to meet the moving truck. I hear they are planning some kind of special event to celebrate my ten years here. I can't believe I've been here this long. I really can't. I remember that the Sunday I was installed, there was a picnic on the lawn.



Five things on today's "to do" list: (today is almost over, and tomorrow is Sunday, so...)
Feed dog supper
Go out to eat (at least, that's what I'm lobbying for)
Send out two more "thank yous"
Organize my "things to remember list" for the week I'll be at the Festival of Homiletics
Clean bathroom


Things I'd do if I was a billionaire:
Finance a college education for my neice and nephew.
Re-model this house, and build a cabin somewhere on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Fund education projects for under-performing schools, to help bridge the achievement gap
Do other things I cannot comprehend because I cannot comprehend that much money

Three bad habits:
Not finishing books
Procrastination
Not finishing sentences.......


Five places I've lived:
St. Louis Park, MN
Kumamoto, Japan (2 year)
St. Paul, MN (3 years)
Denver, Colorado (1 year)
Vienna, South Dakota (4 years)

Five jobs I've had:
Clerk Typist
Administrative Assistant
Missionary/ESL Teacher
Insurance Underwriter
Pastor


Five people I'm tagging:
Greenish Lady
I Am Chorus
Dog and God
Dave
Carolyn at Law and Gospel

Just One Book

A while back, Carol over at Tribal Church tagged me for a particularly cruel meme, at least if you are a biblioholic as I am. Here is the idea:

Books are scarce in the world. They are illegal in some provinces. They are not easily replaced if not impossible to replace if lost in many
if not most circumstances. If you can replace a book or buy one it is usually through the black market at astronomical costs that you cannot afford. Yet you have been able to maintain one of the best collections in the world. If your entire library was about to burn up (think of the firefighters in Fahrenheit 451 invading your home) and you could only have one* book to take with you other than the Bible, what would that be and why?

Simple Rules: Answer the question. Offer one quote that resonates with you. Tag five people whose response is of genuine interest to you and inform him or her that they have been tagged. Cheers!


*And it cannot be an entire series of something, that’s cheating.


Okay, here is why this is difficult: I collect books. And I mean "collect" in many senses of the word. While I was gone at the confirmation retreat last weekend, my husband starting counting. When I came home, there were little sticky notes on all the bookshelves: 125 books, 87 books, 143 books. Thank you very much, dear. (He collects books, too.) I have fiction, theology, history, biography, memoirs, poetry, children's books, pop up books. I could be the old woman in Fahrenheit 451, who was willing to be burned up with her books.


Among all of my books, I have a few old, somewhat collectable books. I have a book called From Snow to Snow, by Robert Frost. It's a slim volume, with one poem for every month of the year. The Road Not Taken is the poem for October, and Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is December.

I also have a copy of A Christmas Carol, illustrated by Arthur Rackham (without dust jacket). It would be a hard choice, but between these two I would pick the Arthur Rackham. I can memorize some of the poems I love, and much as I love literature, I can still pick it up from the library. But if I could only keep my Bible and one book, I'd like the illustrated edition of Dicken's A Christmas Carol on my shelf.


"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!"


But, are you sure I can't take a hymnal/worship book along with me, too? No? Oh, well.....

Here are five people I believe would give intriguing answers to this question:
Lindy at Two Fruits in the Sukka, Jan at Yearning for God, Mike at The Mercy Blog, Ruth at Ruth's Visions and Revisions, and RevDrKate at Prairie Light.

And of course, anyone else who would like to play. But I found it extremely hard, and a little sad. I mean, what am I going to do with my Mary Oliver poetry books? My little children's prayer books? All of my dog books? (sigh)

Seven Scintillating Things about Me

Redhead Reverend tagged me for this meme awhile back. I have a hard time believing there are seven more things about me that could be interesting to anyone in any way, but here goes!

1. I haven't finished my taxes yet. (ooh, that hurt). I am somewhat math-phobic, and I am in the middle of adding up a LOT of little numbers. I'm almost done, though. Really, I'm really close.

2. My mother's side of the family are mostly Republicans, and my father's side of the family are mostly Democrats. When asked, my dad always told me he was an "Independent." Perhaps an attempt at peace-keeping?

3. Henry Mancini and I have the same birthday (not date, though!). I love the Theme from the Pink Panther, but I think I love Baby Elephant Walk even more.



4. My favorite things about being a pastor are: preaching, leading worship, visiting people, telling stories, praying, taking youth out for coffee and conversation, teaching classes (I taught a class on Psalms to about 60 retired people this afternoon). My least favorite thing is: doing taxes.

5. I have a Serious Book Habit, which I am trying to break (but maybe not hard enough). My latest offenses: a little book called More Dog Psalms, which Scout will be excerpting from shortly, and The Divine Hours/Pocket Edition, by Phyllis Tickle.

6. I have a raised bump on the middle finger of my left hand, from writing so much. I've had it since I was in grade school. My 12th grade English teacher told me I should write with a fountain pen, because I wouldn't have to press so hard. I still have the bump.

7. I am not terribly athletic, but I love the water. I'm a moderately good swimmer.

There you have it! Not terribly scintillating. I couldn't think of any deep dark secrets to share. I would now like to tag Barbara at Views from the Road, Chris at the Lutheran Zephyr, David at Here I Stand, Lindy, Rowan's guardian, P.S. at Proclaiming Softly, Crimson Rambler and Wyrdbyrd.

Six (More) Random Things

I was tagged for this somewhat familiar meme over at Law and Gospel. I think I did a somewhat similar meme recently (although, to be fair, I think it was six quirky things). So, here I go again, as random as I can possibly be, and with a twist: 6 random things that might be grist for a story (or not).

1. I wore our house key around my neck on a string starting when I was in the 4th grade, because my mom went back to work part-time. When my mom had a job, I was in charge of letting my sister and me in after school. Sometimes I forgot though, and my sister and I had to break in through a bedroom window. My sister did most of the breaking and entering though. Just recently it has occurred to me that my 4th grade teacher felt sorry for me. I knew this in the 4th grade, but I didn't know why. I still wonder what she thought my life was like.

2. There was a little girl in our community in South Dakota who used to come to church and Sunday school by herself. Everyone called her "the church girl" because she liked church. I sometimes wonder what happened to her.

3. Scout does not have a middle name, although we still did the meme. However, the dog and cat we had growing up did: Fluffy Gray and Charlie Brown. Fluffy was first and she never did get to be great friends with Charlie.

4. My first "date" was in 8th grade. A classmate and I went to an old amusement park (which has since closed). It had a rickety old roller coaster. His mother drove us.

5. I talk in my sleep sometimes, according to others. Once, at church camp, we were sleeping outside, and they were asking me questions, and I was answering them, I guess. I have also been told that I have answered the phone in my sleep once or twice.

6. They did not allow girls to be acolytes in my church growing up. Or anything else.

I'm not sure who to tag. I'll start with Pastor David, and come back with more later.

The Middle Name Meme -- at long last

Jiff and Katharine both tagged me for this meme quite some time ago. Now that the wedding the funeral, and Sunday and today's Lenten sermons are done, I have time...(a few minutes)

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.

2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.)

M Mary was the name of one of my great-grandmothers. I remember visiting her in the nursing home down in Jackson when I was very small. She was always sitting in a wheelchair, and her hair was done up in a little gray bun. She always gave me a little someting from her room when I came, a little stuffed toy, or a handkerchief, or something crocheted. I never knew anyone else who lived in a little room like that.

A ADHD. I have wondered, on occasion, if I don't suffer from a form of Attention Deficit Disorder. Exhibit A: all the unfinished scarves, skirts, cross-stitch samplers, etc., and even books I have. Exhibit B: I have a hard time concentrating, at times. I do better if I can change tasks frequently.

R Responsible. Terminally. For everything. I am an oldest child, after all, and we are the Responsible Ones.

I Introvert. Like many others, I score Introvert on the Myers-Briggs Inventory. Not a high introvert, mind you, but an introvert nonetheless. I do think this accounts for the necessity of Sunday afternoon naps.

E Enthusiastic. As in, I like to say "Wow" a lot. With exclamation points. Also, Excellent, as in I have received the Excellent Blogger award, and need to pass it along. And Enervated, as in when I'm tired, like tonight, after the funeral and all the services.

I think many people have already been tagged, so I'm going to do something a little different. I'm going to tag some of my dog friends: 5 of them, one for each letter of my name: Rowan, Cub, Amie, Rusty and Isabel! If you have a middle name, let us know what it is! If not, use your first name!

Marriage Meme

My friend Wyrdbyrd tagged me for this one, just in time for Valentine's Day:

1. Where / how did you meet?
At church. He was the new director of the church choir. I was a second soprano and prospective seminary student.
2. How long have you known each other?
hmmm... that would be 1988, I think?
3. How long after you met did you start dating?
Not officially until 1998, ten years later. It's a long story.
4. How long did you date before you were engaged?
Just six months, I think.
5. How long was your engagement?
Again, about six months.
6. How long have you been married?
Eight and a half years
7. When is your anniversary?
July 31st
8. How many people came to your wedding reception?
The church one? Oh, dear, I didn't count. 200 or 250?
9. What kind of cake did you serve?
Sheet cake and a Norwegian wedding cake, too.
10. Where was your wedding?
At the church where I serve. We invited everyone to a cake reception in the fellowship hall. Some people came.

11. What did you serve for the meal?
No meal at the church, just cake. Later on we had a "family only" dinner at a nearby hotel. I honestly don't remember what we served. But one of my husband's musician friends played piano all through the dinner.
12. How many people were in your bridal party?
Husband's older son was best man, and younger son read a lesson. My sister was matron of honor. My nephew was an usher, and my two neices were flowers girls.
13. Are you still friends with them all?
Yes, we are family, after all. I think his sons still like me.
14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony?
No. I didn't either, but we were both very nervous.
15. Most special moment of your wedding day?
The recessional hymn was a song written by my husband, to Psalm 118. Called "O Give Thanks". My mom and dad got us a suite in the hotel where our reception was for our wedding night. That was special, too.
16. Any funny moments?
My two neices did not get along so well on that day. There's a picture of them both, with their arms crossed in front of them. It's funny now; probably not then. They were both cute, though.
17. Any big disasters?
I can't remember any. No, those came later.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon?
To Disney world with my husband's sons! Later on, we took a little trip by ourselves to Door County. We stayed in a bed and breakfast, and made sure we had fish boils.
19. How long were you gone?
Only 5 days. The Door County Trip was even shorter.
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change?
Hmmm. It was incredibly hot the day before the wedding, but it cooled down some for the day. If I could have, I also would have taken a longer honeymoon.

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on?
Right side.
22. What size is your bed?
Queen.
23. Greatest strength as a couple?
We have a lot of common interests: music, crossword puzzles, church, reading.
24. Greatest challenge as a couple?
We have a lot of common neuroses, and neither of us has a lot of money.
25. Who literally pays the bills?
Both of us. We divide things up.
26. What is your song?
We don't have one; I like all the songs he writes, although they are mostly church songs.
27. What did you dance your first dance to?
Don't remember.
28. Describe your wedding dress.
White, sleeveless, long, and simple.
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding?
Not very many flowers, mostly what I carried, and what the flower girls carried. I actually don't remember a lot.
30. Are your wedding bands engraved?
No. But my rings are specially made by a local man we got to know because he also made the rings for a friend of mine.

Okay, now you've made me want to go through my wedding album. You may regret this

And I tag: Barb, Marie, and Katherine E.

A Book Meme

This one comes from Zorra, Jiff and Gartenfische. Overkill, you say? At three, I couldn't avoid it any more.

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)

The book on the top of the pile on the coffee table is The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, about a snooty china rabbit who gets thrown overboard and well, the rest is history.

Find Page 123.

Chapter 17 of Edward's journey, slung over the shoulder of a boy named Bryce.

Post the next three sentences.

...talking about his sister, Sarah Ruth. "She had her a baby doll made out of china. She loved that baby doll. But he broke it.

Tag five people

I don't know who has done this and who hasn't. In my ignorance, I tag? Dust Bunny, Barb, CJ, David, and whoever else reads this.

Six Quirky Things About Me

LJ tagged me for this meme a long time ago. Then she quit blogging. I hope it's not my fault! I hope she will start blogging again soon!

So, without further ado:

1. I like kosher dill pickles. This goes back to high school, when I used to frequent (or should I say nosh at) a local restaurant here called The Lincoln Del. Also learned to love pastrami sandwiches there. Later on, I discovered: it was the garlic.

2. I was bald until I was about two years old. I think it was a Scandinavian thing. I have a pretty good head of hair now.

3. I can't whistle, but I know a lot of songs, including Irving Berlin's "We're Having A Heat Wave/A Tropical Heat Wave." I've been humming that a lot lately (it's up above zero today).

4. When I took typing in high school, I started to "pretend type" what people were saying, moving my fingers on desks, tabletops, and other surfaces while people talked. Please, somebody else, tell me you did this.

5. I have "hyperextended" elbows (I believe that's what it's called). It's a little like being double-jointed, but not exactly.

6. Sometimes I forget to wear my gloves. But not last Tuesday.

I think everybody has done this quirky meme, but if not, please feel free to tell me and go right ahead!

It Was a Very Good Year...

A while back Wyldth1ng tagged me for this challenging meme, regarding the year I was 25. This has been quite a challenge for me, since I was 25 about a quarter of a century ago. One thing that helped: I lived in Japan during my 25th year, so that helped me to remember a few things. (I hope to add pictures to this post later.)


I turned 25 on April 16, 1982. Here are 5 things I remember from April 16 of that year to April 16th of 1983.

1. I had just moved from Tokyo, the urban center of Honshu, to the "little" town of Kumamoto, on the island of Kyushu. The school year in Japan runs from April to March, and I moved to teach junior and senior high school at a Lutheran School called Kyushu Gakuin. By the way, it was (and I believe still is) a Boys' School.

2. The first day of teaching 7th grade boys was extremely challenging for me. There were fifty boys in the class; the first thing the other teacher and I did was divide the boys into two groups. They didn't know any English. In theory, I knew some Japanese. But I realized just then that I didn't know "classroom English." After taking roll, it was touch and go. I was trying to ask them to write their names and one of the boys was trying valiantly to ask me whether I wanted them to write in capital letters or small letters. I didn't know the Japanese word for "capital letters" so I had no idea what he was asking. He ended up jumping up and down to signify "big" until I figured out what he was talking about. I will also remember the day I picked up a pencil from a student's desk and said, "This is a pencil." to which he replied, "This is a dorobou." (Dorobou, it turns out, is Japanese for "thief.")


3. I remember shortly after the school year began, getting a school break for what was called "Golden Week" back then. It was called Golden Week because there were three national holidays within about a week and a half. One of them was the Emperor's Birthday. Since there has been a new emperor since I left Japan, I wonder if there is still a "Golden Week". Perhaps my new friend Tanya, who lives in Japan, can tell. Anyway, during Golden Week we took a train and went to a famous pottery festival in Arita, where we bought lots of bowls, teacups and other essentials -- cheap. It was wonderful! P.S. yes, there still is a Golden Week.


4. During the summer break, (mid-July through August) I traveled with a group of young people to Kagoshima prefecture for summer fun and relaxation. If there weren't pictures, I don't think I would remember much except having fun by the seashore. For this midwestern girl, being near both mountains and oceans was quite an experience.

5. In March, my parents arrived for a two week tour of Japan. They visited Tokyo, the old capital of Kyoto, my town of Kumamoto, and also visited Hiroshima, where the missionaries were having their annual meeting. I also took them for an overnight stay in a ryokan, which is a Japanese-style inn. My parents recently told me they remembered the night I told them I was too tired to translate for them any more; they were on their own! So they got a little supper in Kyoto without any help.

The picture is of "Kinkakuji", the Golden Pavilion, in Kyoto, one of the many places I visited with my parents.

The Environmental Meme

Fran tagged me for this a long time ago, and I am finally getting to it -- it comes by way of Delia, who has a birding blog (that in itself sounds interesting). Here's the idea:

Try to think of one way you and your family can lessen your environmental impact in 2008. You could consider doing something relatively easy--like giving up paper plates and napkins (yup, more dishes and laundry, but oh so worth it at
trash-time)--or more difficult--like trying to carpool more (which can be a
pain, but saves a ton in gas money, not to mention in saved emissions). It
doesn't have to be hard--it could be something as simple as trying one of those
new fluorescent bulbs in your desk lamp. How about it?

This is hard for me, because there is so much I could do -- but if I'm honest I know I haven't been very good as "making a smaller footprint." (as Ann Bancroft would say.) For example, I bought two cloth bags from our local grocery store so that I wouldn't use so many grocery bags (paper or plastic), but I sometimes forget to use them! So one of my environmental goals for 2008 would be to use cloth grocery bags more often. I'd also like to use cloth bags for some of my other shopping as well. And third, I'd like to do "using up" what we have -- whatever itis. Those are my modest goals for 2008. and oh yes, I think we will look into getting some of those LED lights as well.

I'll tag Mompriest and Katherine, because I'm really interested in their environmental goals!

Housekeeping

Tonight I am doing laundry and packing (really interesting activities, huh? What a life!) in preparation for our annual trip to Phoenix, Arizona! You can't even imagine (well, maybe you can) how much I am looking forward to this trip. We stay in a really nice condo in Scottsdale owned by my husband's sister and husband. To us, it might even be called luxurious. So for a week, we live a lifestyle to which we are not otherwise accustomed. If the weather is nice, we use the swimming pool. We walk every day. We go antique shopping. We visit my parents (who winter in Mesa). We see my sister and her family, including my wonderful neice!

I really need this vacation.

Tomorrow I have a funeral and a baptism. Sunday I preside at two services. Then we are off! Scout will go to stay at her trainer's house. Part of the frenzy of preparation is making some ground beef and rice part of her meals. She will also be starting a new prescription diet. They think she might have Irritable Bowel Syndome.

In the meantime, I have been tagged for two memes:

by Fran, for an environmental meme, and by LawandGospel, for a meme about pets. I am up for both of these, but be patient with me.

Also, I have some posts in the works. I'm sure that you are all staying up nights waiting for my thoughts on:

-Barack Obama
-Lutheran Cable Network Shows
-How Far Is It To Bethlehem? (part of my Christmas Eve Sermon)
-Jazz Sermons

I did not do the Revgals Friday Five today, but my one New Year's Resolution would be to lose 10 pounds. Last year I lost 20 pounds just by walking the dog regularly (hurray for Scout), but apparently, ten of those pounds have found me.

I will blog as much as my husband lets me, while we are on vacation. He has this thing about doing things together.

7 Lies About Me

People say to me, "You are a woman pastor. That's amazing! How do you do it?" Well, here's how:

1. I'm not really from Minnesota. I'm from the Planet Krypton, which means that I am faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings with a single bound! I have X-ray vision, and when I blink my eyes, supper is on the table! My grandfather, Kal-El, sent my father here to the prairie where I was born and left me to be adopted by nice people and raised in a stable home.

2. I'm also related to the great Pentecostal Evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson. She was, like me, glamorous and beautiful, and a mesmerizing public speaker and preacher. She acquired quite a following. However, in the late 1920s, she disappeared for a few weeks. She claimed to have been kidnapped. But, I know that she was really out on the prairie somewhere...

3. I was the world's youngest presidential candidate back in 1960. Because I was a Republican back then, I split the vote with Richard Nixon: and that's the real reason why John F. Kennedy became president. Here's a picture of me making one of my famous stump speeches from my stroller. My platform? Votes for babies! Guess a lot of babies voted for me!

4. I traveled to the Arctic Circle a number of years ago with the famous local explorers Will Steger and Ann Bancroft. I trained for this feat by carrying large packs of supplies for miles, by grueling cross-country skiing, and by walking my dog in the middle of winter in Minnesota.

5. My husband is a world-champion body-builder. He can lift pianos, pews, and just about anything you need. He can carry 20 tons of canned goods for the local food shelf, after a successful food drive. He can even dislodge angry parishoners and move them closer to the front of the church in an emergency.

6. Oh, but wait a minute: I'm not really a woman! Do you remember that story about how there was a woman pope back in the middle ages, Pope Joan? She ascended to power disguised as a man. Well, that is my story in reverse. Not only am I not a woman, I am in fact, the poet laureate Billy Collins. I have a wry sense of humor, and have even been on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion.

7. Recently, I made a small fortune because I invented famous Jesus Heals Band-Aids! What else can I say? I was divinely inspired! Try them!

This meme was started by Splotchy, I was challenged by the Divine Democrat, and I tag: Presbyterian Gal, Barbara from View from the Road, and whoever else would like to try it!

Blessings

My friend Gartenfische blessed me through her blog Wyrdbyrd. If you want to learn about about the rules, just click here:

The idea… it’s a game of tag with a difference, rather than looking inwardly, we
look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for one blog friend. By
participating in this endeavour we not only make the recipient of the blessing
feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We’re going to see
how far the bloggin’ blessings can travel around the world and how many people
can be blessed! Recipients of a bloggin’ blessing may upload the above image to
their sidebar if they choose to. If you recieve a bloggin’ blessin’ please leave
a comment on this thread here so that we can rejoice in just how many blessings
have been sent around the world!

The blessing has been amended from one to three people, so I get to bless three people, and to tell them why I blessed them. I would like to bless my new friend Catherine+ for her excellent poetry, RevDrKate, because she is so wonderfully insightful, and Steve because he blesses me with honesty and wisdom. You are all great blessings!

"Christmas Three" Meme

Carolyn over at Law and Gospel has tagged me for this meme, which asks three questions about Christmas:

What are your three favorite Christmas songs and who sings them?
I have a lot of Christmas songs I'm tired of, and a lot that I really love, so this was really difficult! There's also the difference between the Christmas songs I love to listen to, and those I love to sing. So, without further ado:

1. I'll Be Home For Christmas -- from Bing Crosby's Merry Christmas album. We always trimmed the tree to this album. My dad and I used to sing Silver Bells together as we drove to pick up our Christmas tree (usually about the middle of December, and yes, a real tree). But the last song has taken more meaning for me since learning of the album's release, during World War II, and also since being away from home myself, for three years in Japan.

2. The Rebel Jesus -- from The Chieftains Christmas Album, sung by Jackson Browne. It's not a hymn or a carol, but it has really thought-provoking words. I first heard it on the radio on Christmas day (NPR), as I was driving home to Minnesota from South Dakota. Later on, the Chieftains album became my Christmas Album of the Year, and I was pleased to find this song on it.

3. Joy to the World -- as sung by the congregation, at the very end of the late Christmas eve service. After communion and after the candles and after Silent Night, the lights come back up and everyone is blinded by the light. And we all sing Joy to the World. After coming to this congregation, I have grown to love this hymn even more, because of the way we do it. After communion, the chancel choir lines up in the center aisle of the sanctuary. After the post-communion prayer, and just as the lights come up, the organist begins to play Joy to the World. The choir each has a handbell and they ring them all during the song while we process out. I always cry.

Three favorite foods

1. Lefse, of course. They are a thin Norwegian potato crepe, rolled up with butter, with butter and sugar, with butter and brown sugar. Our family prefers the butter and sugar variety. In fact, the children in our family were responsible, before Christmas eve or day dinners, for rolling up the lefse with the butter and sugar inside.

2. Kringla. Another of my grandmother's Norwegian recipes. It's hard to describe, but it's a kind of a cookie, shaped like a figure eight. And it's not easy to get right. I tried to make it once, in Japan, and ended up burying the dough in the backyard. I blamed it on not being able to get buttermilk, but I think there was more to it than that.

3. Swedish Meatballs. We've never really known what was in the ones my grandma made. She didn't have a recipe. We get Swedish meatball mix at a local store called Engebretsons.

Three Christmas Secrets

1. After a Christmas morning where a game of Racko mysteriously appeared from Santa to my parents, I spent an extra $10 and bought my parents a box of Fannie Farmer candy, put it under the tree, and wrote: to: (my parents names) from: Santa on it. The next year, my parents bought themselves Christmas stockings and we kids filled them. If mom and dad are reading this, the secret's out!

2. I have never cooked a turkey. My family knows this, and I'm not proud of it. Still waiting for my "first time", but with the responsibilities of Thanksgiving and Christmas services, it's hard to figure out when would be a good time. (and yes, I know, it's not hard.)

3. oh, like Law and Gospel, I have a "missing baby Jesus" story too. One year in South Dakota, I could not find the baby Jesus for the creche. I looked everywhere, and he was nowhere to be found. I found him the next July in the trunk of the car. I had used him for a children's message (now I really forget the theme). Now how he got into the trunk: well, I had a three-point parish and drove to two churches every Sunday. So I had these sermon illustrations in a paper bag, which at some point got put into the trunk.

Ok, I tag FranIAm, Barb at Views from the Road, and Pastor Eric from Heart of a Pastor. Have fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

..... and lots of Turkey to you.

update with 7 random things I'm thankful for...(as random as I can possibly be)... (this is for redheadrev, who tagged me some time ago)

1. I'm thankful for words. I'm thankful for the words of poetry, like Mary Oliver, and George Herbert, and everything in between. I'm thankful for words to say how I'm thinking and feeling, words to ask for what I need, words to hear other people's stories, and see into others' hearts. And, I'm thankful for the Word, who expresses God's love so completely.

2. I'm thankful for soft cuddly dog fur to pet, and plush blankets to cuddle in, and fluffy slippers on my feet.

3. I'm thankful for a wide world full of places to see and people to meet.

4. I'm thankful for snow... right now, anyway... it's beautiful and snowing today, and it's crisp and crunchy on top of the grass.

5. I'm thankful for friends-in-person and friends-in-blog.

6. I'm thankful for the gift of music: reggae, ragtime, jazz and blues, gospel, classical, baroque and romantic, piano, guitar, organ, and flute.

7. I'm thankful for my husband, on on this quiet night, after all the family had left, went out to rent for us the movie, "The Twelve Chairs." Sometimes I am crabby and stressed out (more on that tomorrow), and he knows just what to do.

10 Random things about Me

I have been tagged by Wyldth1ng, and need to share ten random things about myself. Here they are, as random as I can be:

1. I really like pop-up books, both new and old. My prized possession is a book called "The Jolly Jump-ups Vacation Trip". It was written in the 1940s and includes a pop-up of the Grand Canyon. I just saw a pop up version of Moby Dick, in the bookstore. Obviously, an abridged edition.

2. While in college I attended a teeny weeny Four Square Gospel church on occasion. Once their pianist was sick, and they asked me to play the piano. That may have been about the time I saw the light and went back to the Lutheran faith.

3. I took Latin in the 9th grade, Swedish and Greek in college, and Japanese -- in Japan.

4. My brother used to collect crayfish and keep them in jars in the backyard.

5. I have taken the Bright Angel trail in the Grand Canyon, but not all the way to the bottom!

6. I love to read, but lately, have been having trouble finishing books. I have a lot of half-finished books lying around. (lie? lay?)

7. I like doing crossword puzzles and acrostics, but my husband is addicted to the most difficult puzzles of all: Cryptic Crosswords. This style originated in England and is ridiculously difficult.

8. I have never been to Europe.

9. When I was 23 years old, I visited New York City for the first time, because I was interviewing for a position as a missionary in Japan. While there, I visited the U.N., the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and saw a Broadway Play (42nd Street). My proudest accomplishment? Hailing a cab after the show.

10. I know many of the words to satiric songs (some of them in poor taste) by Allan Sherman and Tom Lehrer.

I would like to tag: RevDrKate, PS, Pastor Eric, Rowan the Dog, and FranIAm.

Books Meme

Katharine E over at Meaning and Authenticity has tagged me for this great meme about one of my favorite topics, books! (To be honest, over a week ago). So, now I'm finally getting to it:

1. How many books?
I have not ever counted all my books, although at one time I did try to list at least the Biblical studies ones (for insurance purposes). A conservative estimate is about 750, as I am always weeding out and taking some over to books sales and used books stores (we have a small house, and, my husband has books too -- both at home and at his office). Altogether we probably have about 2,000 books, although not all of them are at home. My interests lean to literature and theology; his to biblical criticism, music and history (certain eras, anyway). Lately I've been into a subgenre called "dog books."

2. Last book read?
That would have to be Abide with Me, a novel by Elizabeth Strout that I read for my church book club. It is set in 1959 and is about a pastor in a small town in New England, and how the town reacts after a family tragedy.

If there were a last book almost read category, that would have to be Three Cups of Tea, which I have been almost done with since August. Almost finishing books has gotten to be a Bad Habit with me lately. I have several other partially read books on my shelf, which I put down when I realize that I need to put on speed and finish the book club book! But Three Cups of Tea is the most inspiring book I have ever almost finished, and when I'm done, I'll post a review and some salient quotes.

3. Last book bought?
I believe that is For the Love of a Dog, by Patricia McConnell, which I got with some gift card money recently. Not a dog memoir, by an animal behaviorist, and full of insights into both dogs and people. I absolutely loved her book The Other End of The Leash.

Last book almost bought.... I am kicking myself for not picking up a copy of Sherman Alexie's new book for young adults, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which was available at the college bookstore when I was at the 7th grade confirmation retreat last weekend. I heard him on the radio, talking about the book, and I think it will be a winner. It's about a boy from the reservation who goes to an all-white high school, and is semi-autobiographical. (also, the books were signed.)

4. Five Meaningful books

1. To Kill a Mockingbird. One of the first "adult" books I read, in about 5th or 6th grade. I was too naive to "get" all of it, then, but I've come back to it, again and again.

2. The Living Reminder. The first book I read by Henri Nouwen, put me in touch with a deeper spirituality than I had experienced before. After that, I read everything he wrote for awhile. Later on, I discovered that it was a book about the priesthood, in some ways.

3. The Freedom of a Christian. The best thing that Luther ever wrote, in my opinion.

4. The poetry of George Herbert. An Anglican priest who was a contemporary of John Donne. Start with "Easter Wings" and go along from there.

5. Bleak House. And other books by Dickens, who was actually quite a social critic in his day

like Fran, I have a couple more than 5....

....The Bean Trees and Animal Dreams, by Barbara Kingsolver. I loved "Jesus is Lord" used tires, and there is a quote from Animals Dreams, about "living inside your hope" which I believe describes what it means to be a Christian, living in this world by the values of the Kingdom of God.

....The Plague, by Albert Camus, about living a moral life in a flawed society.

....Breathing Space, by Pastor Heidi Neumark (I confess that I haven't finished it yet) . About being a pastor-organizer in New York.

....The Preaching Life, by Barbara Brown Taylor (the first one of hers I read)

Children's books?

Harold and the Purple Crayon. (love the creativity)
Alice in Wonderland (what good IS a book with no pictures or conversations?)
the Betsy-Tacy books (I too tried writing a book about my best friend and me)
Winnie-the-Pooh (How can you not love a bear of very little brain?)
and, more recently....
books by Katharine Paterson, like Jacob Have I Loved, Angels and other Strangers
Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
Holes, by Louis Sachar